28

The Secret of the Stained Glass Window
P
etropolis is a pleasant town with a mild climate,
situated in the mountain ranges close to the city
of Rio de Janeiro. It was there that the Emperor, Dom
Pedro II (1825-1891), escaped from the burning
heat of the summer of the then capital
of the Brazilian Empire. Nowadays,
Petropolis valiantly still maintains
its placid charm, so good for the
tranquility of the soul, although
modern times have obscured its
past glories. Every day many
tourists enter the Cathedral
of Sao Pedro d’Alcantara,
where a small and simple
mausoleum contains
the mortal remains of
Dom Pedro II and the
principal members of the
imperial family. However,
there is one small detail,
in one of the beautiful
stained glass windows that
decorate the church, which
goes unnoticed by almost all
of the visitors, whether tourists
or residents of the town.
In the lower part of one of the
stained glass windows there are two
coats of arms together, side by side, with
the imperial crown above. They are the coat
of arms of the Brazilian imperial family on the one
side and, on the other side, of Count Dobrzensky von
Dobrzenicz. The detail may be of little importance, but
behind it there lies a love story, a dynastic dispute, and
the effects of the vicissitudes of fortune. The two coats
of arms symbolize the matrimonial union between Dom
Pedro d’Alcantara, Prince of Grão Pará, and Countess
Elisabeth Dobrzensky von Dobrzenicz.
The Prince of Grão Pará and his exile
The Prince of Grão Pará was born on 15 October 1875,
in Petropolis. He was the son of Isabel Princess Imperial
of Brazil (1846-1921), heir to the throne of the tropical
monarchy. None of the male heirs of Emperor Dom
Pedro II had survived: Dom Afonso, born in 1845, died
at the age of two, Dom Pedro, bom in 1848, died at the
age of one. There were only two girls to continue the
Elisabeth Dobrzensky von Dobrzenicz
“Empress of Brazil”
by Victor Villon
Bragança line in Brazil, Isabel and Leopoldina (1847-
1871), and the House of Bragança was not so happy
with the prospect of female heirs. This was in contrast
to England, which always had great female sovereigns.
Initially, there had been Dona Maria I (1734-1816), the
Queen of Portugal. She was an extremely
devout woman, who eventually went
mad, seeing demons everywhere. She
became known, in Brazil, as Dona
Maria “the Mad”. Princess Isabel,
great-great grandchild of the
Portuguese sovereign, was
as pious as her predecessor,
although she did not go
mad, and became neither
empress nor queen.
However, before our
explanation is continued,
the signifcance of the
title “Prince of Grão
Pará” must be considered.
According to the 1824
constitution
1
, which was
in force during the entire
period of the empire, the heir
to the emperor had the title
of “Prince Imperial”. In turn,
the frst-born son of the Prince
Imperial received the title of “Prince
of Grão Pará”. Grão Pará was one of the
largest provinces in Brazil. It occupied what
now includes the states of Pará, Amazonas, Amapá
and Roraima. As a tribute to this distant province, the
title of the Prince was accordingly named after “Grão
Pará”. It is probable that this choice was infuenced by the
anxiety of the political elite at that time. Brazil had just
gained its independence and it was necessary, at whatever
cost, to develop a national identity. The relationship with
a grandiose and even a paradisal nature was one of the
preferred elements for this generation of “founders of the
empire”, in their attempt to create symbols of identity. It
was through the vast expanses of the Province of Grão
Pará that the abundant waters of the Amazon River ran,
and also where the immense greenery of the Amazonian
forest fourished.
Princess Isabel married, on 15 October 1864, the
French Prince Gaston d’Orléans, Count d’Eu (1842-
1922), grandson of Louis-Philippe (1773-1850), King
of the French. Isabel and Gaston found it diffcult to
Countess Elizabeth von Dobrzensky de Dobrezenicz and Prince Pedro de Alcântara
of Orleans and Bragance,in their engagement's offcial picture(1908).
29
have children, which was much more than just a family
matter because it was also a matter of State. The imperial
succession depended on it. The apparent infertility of the
Princess Imperial concerned everybody. It was only in
1874 that Isabel gave birth to a girl, who was stillborn.
However, the next year, Dom Pedro d’Alcântara was
born. The pregnancy had been carefully monitored and
it was a very diffcult delivery. To everybody’s distress,
Dr. Depaul, the French doctor who had been called
especially for the occasion, sprained the child’s arm.
This accident had important consequences; Dom Pedro
d’Alcântara was left with an atrophied arm for the rest of
his life. In total, there were three children that lived to
adulthood.
The American historian, Roderick Barman, made an
acute and very interesting analysis of the childhood of
Dom Pedro d’Alcântara. It is worthwhile quoting from
this source, because the way in which he was seen by
his parents may have infuenced, subsequently, the
conditions that were imposed in order for him to marry
Countess Elisabeth Dobrzensky. We will look into this
question later. Meanwhile, let us turn our attention to
the upbringing of the Prince of Grão Pará:
At the time when the family was living on the outskirts of Versailles,
their eldest son, Pedro, was ffteen years old. Luis was two years
younger, and Antonio or “Toto”, as he was nicknamed, was nine.
The three boys were very different in character. Pedro was kind
and friendly but did not like to study and appeared clumsy. Luis
had great strength of will and was very active and discerning. In
March 1890, his father commented: “Baby Pedro is always laz y
and foolish”, whereas “Luis does exactly the same schoolwork on
his own, with admirable prestige and capacity”. It is probable that
the ease with which Luis surpassed his older brother, and the critical
attitude of his parents, made Pedro less disposed to compete, especially
as he was hindered by the injury to his arm and left hand.
On 15 November 1889, the Republic of Brazil was
proclaimed, and the entire imperial family was obliged
to go into exile. First, they went to Portugal for a
short period of time, and then to France, where they
remained.
Baron Johan von Dobrzensky of Dobrzenicz,
father of the new Princess of Brazil.
Chotebor Castle in Czechoslovakia: ancestral home of the Dobrezensky of Dobreznicz family.
30
It is well-known that the old-fashioned education
for a prince was military training. When Dom Pedro
d’Alcântara reached the age to serve in the army, it was
no different for him. However, there was a problem for
the Brazilian prince to enter a military academy. The
law of exile prevented the imperial family from stepping
on Brazilian soil or serving in the Brazilian army.
With respect to France, the republic did not allow the
descendents of French monarchs to enter into a military
career, afraid of what they might do to the established
regime. It should not be forgotten that Dom Pedro
d’Alcântara was an actual Orléans, by male lineage,
great-grandson of Louis-Philippe, the last wearer of
the French crown. However, in Europe, there still was
a great empire with an old monarch, a Catholic and
guardian of the most genuine royal traditions. This was
the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the emperor was,
obviously, Franz-Joseph I (1830-1916). Furthermore, the
Austrian emperor was a close relation. Dom Pedro II –
the grandfather of the young Brazilian prince – was the
son of Dona Leopoldina (1797-1826), the cultured and
intelligent Archduchess of Austria, who had been sent
to distant Brazil. Consequently, the deceased Brazilian
monarch was the frst cousin of the Emperor of Austria,
and Dom Pedro d’Alcântara was allowed to study at the
Wiener Neustadt military academy.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire at the dawn of the
last century was a melting pot of different people and
cultural excitement, a curious blend of avant-garde spirit
with profound conservatism. One has only to mention
that in the age of Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), Gustav
Mahler (1860-1911), Gustav Klimt (1862-1918), and Franz
Kafka (1883-1924), the Emperor Franz-Joseph was still
demonstrating the arbitrariness of absolute monarchy.
This was not only limited to the political environment but
also extended to his own family: he prohibited the wedding
of Leopold-Ferdinand (1868-1935) with the Infanta Dona
Elvira (1871-1929), threw his youngest brother, Ludwig-
Viktor (1842-1919), out of the Court, and pronounced the
marriage of his nephew and heir, Franz-Ferdinand (1863-
1914) morganatic, even though the bride, Sophie Chotek
von Chotkowa und Wognin (1868-1914), belonged to a
noble family from Bohemia, dating back to the ffteenth
century. Even if Dom Pedro d’Alcântara was not directly
infuenced by the varied and dynamic cultural and social
background of the Austro-Hungarian Empire – a theory
that I fnd somewhat diffcult to believe – it is indisputable
that his stay in this dual monarchy not only affected his
private life but also the history of the exiled Brazilian
dynasty. As his son and heir, Dom Pedro Gastão (1913-
2007), remembered much later, there was a purpose in
this period of his father’s life: “Moving from garrison to
garrison across the immense Austro-Hungarian Empire,
he came across different people, customs and languages.
He served a magnifcent apprenticeship in the most
important Empire of the time.”
2
Elizabeth and Pedro de Alcântara with their two
frst children: Pedro Gastão and Isabele (1913).
The imperial couple and their children in 1921: João,
Maria, Isabele, Tereza, Pedro Gastão and Francisca.
31
At the military academy, Dom Pedro d’Alcantara
became friends with four brothers, the sons of Johann-
Wenzel Baron Dobrzensky von Dobrzenicz (1841-1919).
When he was on leave from his military obligations
he was unable to go home because France was so far
from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He accepted
an invitation from the brothers to spend time at the
Dobrzensky family castle, in the Bohemia region.
This was a beautiful property, situated in Chotebor,
approximately 300 km from the Wiener Neustadt
military academy. It was during these visits to Chotebor
that Dom Pedro d’Alcântara fell in love with the daughter
of Baron Dobrzensky von Dobrzenicz. Her name was
Maria Elisabeth Adelhaid, and she was born in the same
castle on 7 December 1875. In April 2003 the Countess
of Paris, daughter of Countess Elisabeth Dobrzensky,
granted me an interview, by letter, and described her
mother’s education, as follows:
Princess Elisabeth spoke and wrote fve languages: Czech,
English, German, French and Portuguese. She was also an excellent
portrait painter. She studied at Chotebor, with several teachers
that lived in the castle. She also sometimes took advantage of her
brothers’ teachers, which was of great beneft. She later entered the
Academy of Music and Painting, in Munich.
3, 4
The meeting of Dom Pedro d’Alcântara with the
young and beautiful Elisabeth Dobrzensky certainly
aroused an intense and powerful love, which was
reciprocated. The engagement lasted eight long years
because the Count and Countess d’Eu tried everything
to stop the marriage. Their motive was the difference
in standing between the engaged couple. Nowadays,
when hereditary princes freely marry commoners, the
impediment presented by the Count and Countess d’Eu
appears strange and without foundation. Even more
so, because we know that the Dobrzensky family were
in no respect commoners. To everyone’s surprise, the
Count d’Eu had a common background with his future
daughter-in-law, through the bloodline of Kohary which
he inherited from his maternal grandmother. Their
common ancestors were: Christof-Leopod Count von
Thurheim (1629-1689), Franz Count von Trautsmandorff
(1677-1753), and Maria Countess von Kaunitz (1682-
1735).
5
Dom Pedro Gastão summarized the problematic
marriage of his parents, as follows: He married at the age of
thirty-one, without the approval of the Count d’Eu. My grandfather
believed that a prince should only marry royalty and he did not like
the idea that my father married for love, and with a mere countess
from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
6
From distant Bohemia to the
“Empire” of Brazil; how did it happen?
The frst record of the Dobrzensky name dates back to
1339, when Zdenko and Bohunko von Dobrzenic are
mentioned as lords of the village of Dobřenice, in the
Princess Elizabeth of Brazil and her daughters: Tereza,
Isabele and Francisca de Orleans e Bragança.
Princess Elizabeth of Brazil and three of her children:
32
eastern region of Bohemia, which is nowadays located in
the district of Hradec Králové. Not only is the Dobrzensky
patronymic linked to the village of Dobřenice – the
place where the family surname originated – but also
to the coat of arms of this location. To the present day,
the stork still appears on the coat of arms of Dobřenice,
as it does on that of the Counts Dobrzensky von
Dobrzenicz. The legend states that a young member of
the Dobrzensky family was taken prisoner by the Turks
and sold as a slave. One day, there was a fight of storks
passing overhead. He immediately recalled that on his
family’s property there had been one of these birds,
named Šotku. This stork was very tame and when any
one called it, it obeyed and came to meet the person.
On an impulse, and without any explanation, Dobrzenky
decided to shout out Šotku’s name. To his surprise, one
of the storks turned into his direction. After such a long
time in captivity the presence of the stork, so familiar
to him, brought great joy. The young Dobrzensky had
a great idea. It was an opportunity to gain his longed-
for freedom. He took a piece of bark from a tree and
wrote down his name and where he was. He then tied
this plea for help to the neck of the stork. The family
believed that the young Dobrzensky was already dead.
When his father saw what Šotku carried around his neck,
he ordered that the servants quickly take some money to
free his son from slavery. Henceforth, as a thank you to
the redeeming bird, the Dobrzensky family placed the
faithful stork on its coat of arms, for all to see.
The Dobrzensky family was recognized in the
category of ancient Lords of Bohemia (Böhmischer
alter Herrenstand), in a document dated 18 June 1696.
On 21 February 1744, the title of ‘Baron’ was granted
to the brothers Wenzel Peter, Franz Karl and Johann
Joseph Dobrzensky von Dobrzenicz. Johann Joseph
Dobrzensky, the great-great grandfather of Countess
Elisabeth, assumed the head of the baronial house after
the death of his brother, Wenzel Peter, in 1783. In 1906,
the father of Elisabeth Dobrzensky rose to the title of
‘Count’ and, in 1912, he became a Hereditary Member
of the House of Lords of Austria. However, previously,
Anna Elisabeth Baroness Dobrzensky von Dobrzenicz
(1852-1913), from a collateral branch of the family, was
honored with the title of ‘Countess’, in 1879, on her
engagement to Prince Friedrich Wilhelm zu Ysenburg
und Büdingen (1850-1933).
The tragic solution found by the Count and Countess
d’Eu for their dilemma over Dom Pedro’s proposed
marriage was to oblige their frst born son, the holder of the
inalienable rights to the succession of the Imperial House
of Brazil, to renounce. This bypassed all constitutional
and judicial legitimacy. Dom Luis, their second son,
had been considered from childhood as a more lively
and intelligent child than his older brother, as we have
seen above. Dom Luis was engaged to somebody who
corresponded perfectly with the demands of his parents,
namely Dona Maria Pia, Princess of the Two Sicilies. With
respect to the prince’s character, Barman declares:
[...] Luis, Pedro’s younger brother, was an activist; he “was ambitious
and headstrong, and saw the world as something to be conquered. He
was an alpine climber and scaled Mont Blanc in 1896. He visited
South Africa, and followed this with a long and daring excursion
to Central Asia and India. He wrote and published a book about
these three experiences. It was their second son, not Pedro, that D.
Isabel and the Count of Eu considered to be the person most capable
of maintaining the cause of monarchy in Brazil.
7
The destiny of each of their sons had already been decided
by the Count and Countess d’Eu, as can be seen from
the following succession of dates: on 30 October 1908,
Dom Pedro d’Alcântara wrote a letter of “renunciation”,
that had no legal standing, and paid no respect to the
traditions of the House of Bragança, due merely to the
fateful whim of Princess Isabel; on 4 November, Dom
Luis married the Princess of the Two Sicilies; and fnally,
after years of waiting; on 14 November, in Versailles,
Dom Pedro d’Alcântara was able to marry Countess
Elisabeth Dobrzensky von Dobrzenicz. Princess Isabel
explained the cause of the supposed “renunciation” of
her eldest son to Teresa da Baviera, as follows:
I also want to tell you about the wedding of our son Pedro. For over
fve years he has sought this marriage with the Countess Elisabeth
Dobrzensky, from an excellent noble and historic family. However,
Princess Elisabeth with her daughter Isabele, son-in-law
the Count of Paris, and their two eldest children.
33
Dom Pedro d’Alcantara died in Petropolis, in the
Palace of Grão Pará, on 29 January 1940. The boy, who
was born as heir to the Emperor of Brazil, passed away at
a time when the old summer palace of his grandparents
was becoming the Imperial Museum and Brazil was
under the dictatorship of Getulio Vargas.
Elisabeth Dobrzensky von Dobrzenicz died in
Cintra, Portugal, on 11 June 1951. The Countess of Paris
described the personality and the last days of her mother,
as follows: [...] she was active, spontaneous, sometimes impertinent,
and always courageous in adversity and in pain. Stricken with
cancer, she spent the last six months of her life suffering terribly,
but never complained. From time to time, she would simply settle
in her chair, without saying a word. She only was only bed-ridden
eight days before she died. [...] Deep down, she was very happy to
be leaving and to be meeting my father again in paradise. It was her
dream [...], because they were such a united couple. Since the death of
our father, she brought happiness and kindness into our lives, but the
cancer was painful. I had the impression that life without my father
did not interest her any more. Her illness was almost liberating.
11
A simple letter of the period
In the archives of the Palace of Grão Pará, in Petropolis,
there are several letters in French, written by the Countess
Elisabeth Dobrzensky von Dobrzenicz. These were sent
to Princess Isabel, her mother-in-law - who she calls
because they are not a royal family we delayed our consent until Luis
got married, and now we believe we must acquiesce.
8
[Our emphasis]
The “renunciation” was controversial. The imperial
family was not a government in exile, which could
be recognized offcially. There was a Monarchial
Directorate, without any of the required formalities,
chosen as the preferred interlocutor in Brazil, with
respect to political questions and a possible restoration.
Eminent fgures from the recently overthrown empire
formed part of this group, such as: Viscount of Ouro
Preto (1837-1912), Lafayette Rodrigues Pereira (1834-
1917), João Alfredo Correa de Oliveira (1835-1919), and
Domingos de Andrade Figueira (1833-1910). When the
news of the “renunciation” arrived in Brazil, the Andrade
Figueira did not want to accept it. Princess Isabel did not
even seek the advice of the members of the Monarchial
Directorate. Correa de Oliveira, despite subserviently
respecting the decisions and the facts, made his sincere
opinion quite clear:
If, instead of the fact, I had to consider the plan, I would ask the
permission of Your Imperial Majesty to insist on my opinion to
reserve any intention of renunciation until the time of the restoration.
If its imminence was so certain that it could not fail, everything
should then be considered that could be of infuence in such a
serious action. He continued: Frankly, I have never understood
how a change in the order of the succession could facilitate the re-
establishment of the monarchy, or how, in this respect, there would
be considerable acceptance or useful work....
9

It is said that Dom Pedro d’Alcântara never regretted his
“renunciation”. However, this is only partly true: in an
interview in 1937, he indicated that he was fully aware of
the invalidity of the document:
When I renounced the imperial throne many years ago . . . in favor of my
brother, Prince D Luiz, it was only done from a personal standpoint.
It did not meet the requirements of Brazilian Law, there was no prior
consultation with the nation, there was none of the necessary protocol
that is required for acts of this nature and, furthermore, it was not
a hereditary renunciation. When I later spoke with monarchists
in Europe and during my visits to Brazil, I confrmed that my
renunciation was invalid for several reasons, as well as those that I
have just mentioned. Councilor João Alfredo, who retained an original
copy of the renunciation, was also of the same opinion.
10
On 3 September 1920, the President of Brazil, Epitacio
Pessoa, ended the law of exile that prevented the imperial
family from entering Brazil. In 1922, Countess Elisabeth
Dobrzensky visited Brazil for the frst time. The
Countess of Paris explained that her mother, even when
she was still onboard the ship, was very surprised to see
the city of Salvador from a distance. This was because
she had always dreamed of that mysterious landscape
that was now revealed to her, ever since her childhood
in the confnes of Bohemia. After this, as if destiny had
been accomplished, Elisabeth Dobrzensky never again
dreamed of such a landscape.
Princess Elisabeth towards the end of her life.
34
“mother”, a term of address used in private, according to
family customs. The correspondence began shortly after
the marriage, one of the frst letters being dated 3 February
1909. Elisabeth’s handwriting was not very steady and
contained elaborate patterns, although divested of most
of the symmetrical rigidity of the calligraphy of the
period. One could say it was almost a disorganized style
of writing, contrary to that of Countess Kottulinsky, her
mother, who had a frm hand with straight strokes. The
letters discussed day to day matters and always seemed to
have a tranquil background, as beftting any élite family
at the beginning of the twentieth century. I believe this
part of the active correspondence of Countess Elisabeth
Dobrzensky had more to do with the silence of the
conventions of the era and her social standing, rather
than the tacit tensions within any family, especially
when we consider the context in which the noble lady
from Bohemia entered the heart of the imperial family
of Brazil. The environment that is suggested, little by
little, is a simultaneous mixture of bourgeoisie and
nobility. It was bourgeois due to the serenity of a daily
life flled with pleasingly trivial activities. Here are a few
examples, taken from several letters: ‘My dearest mother and
father, thank you a thousand times for the thoughtful Easter egg,
which gave me so much pleasure’
12
; ‘But what was most beautiful
was the sunrise and the quality of these morning hours. I would
then sleep until midday. Everyday, after lunch, I keep meaning to
paint; there are so many admirable subjects. Instead of this, they
make me play bridge until night-time’
13
; ‘I see that mother does not
stop in her charity work. I hope this is not very tiring ‘
14
; ‘I am
painting Louise’s small daughter. I want to paint landscapes but
I am much too laz y here.’
15
; ‘We are continuing our embroidery
work – and mother’s chickens laid 8 eggs today. However, they are
very disorderly and they lay them everywhere.’
16
On the other hand, the trademarks of belonging to the
nobility are clear; in the social gatherings and the constant
hunting, an activity, par excellence, of the aristocracy. These
are refections of a world where the symbolic differences
between the nobility and the bourgeoisie, penetrated the
modus vivendi of both groups. However, the conscience
and the limits of each order continued as before. The
distinct and almost absolute hierarchy of the old regime
had been dismantled for a long time, but its echoes were
perfectly audible. For example: ‘We are still in Krasne, our
departure from here was delayed because the Princess of Radziwill,
who we had intended to go and see in Lithuania, asked us to put off
our visit for a while, because she is not yet ready to receive us.’
17
; ‘. . .
we had an enchanting stay in Copenhagen. Ever since the frst day,
Aage, the eldest son of prince Waldemar, has kept us entertained.’
18

‘Afterwards we took tea, at the house of Count Thursa, attached to
the Austrian embassy, who we met along with his wife.’
19
One of
the letters perfectly displays this spirit of nobility, and is
reproduced in its entirety:
My dear mother:
Thank you a thousand times for the card and the letter that you
sent here. Pedro wrote yesterday to father about what we had been
doing since Copenhagen, where I sent a letter to mother on the day
of our departure. We are thinking of staying a few more days here,
because we have been invited by several people in the neighborhood
to go hunting and for dinner. Everybody is very kind and friendly.
There was a grand dinner here last night. It was attended by the
Count and Countess Westphalen, who are Austrian. We met them
in Austria and they live nearby. On Sunday, we are going to their
castle to attend mass and to dine. Afterwards there is, Count Platen
with his family, Count Haka
20
, and Count Hardenberg, who are
all neighbors here. Finally, there is the mayor, who is known here
as Landreth, with his wife. The region is very beautiful - we have
made some delightful trips to Lake Selent and to the seaside. The
weather is good and hot and the trees are still green. Later today,
we are hoping to shoot some deer. I hope that you are both well, my
dear mother, and my dear father, and that the weather in Eu is as
good as it is here. Pedro and I kiss your hands and the hands of our
dear father. An affectionate embrace for my dear mother from her
grateful daughter, Elsi
The resting place in the imperial mausoleum
Elisabeth Dobrzensky von Dobrzenicz would indirectly
place her mark forever in the history of the Brazilian
Imperial Family. Claiming a false legality in the
renunciation letter of Dom Pedro d’Alcântara, the
descendants of his brother, Dom Luis, claimed the
rights over the inheritance of the Emperors of Brazil,
which raised a dynastic dispute and consequently a
division of Orléans e Bragança into two branches. The
descendents of Dom Pedro d’Alcantara became known
as the “Petropolis Branch” and the descendants of
Dom Luis became known as the “Vassouras Branch”.
This last branch, supported by an ultra-reactionary
political movement, gained the antipathy of a large part
of public opinion, in the 1993 referendum. The branch
continues, even today, obstinately persisting in the ideals
of a divine right monarchy. The fundamental claims
of the Vassouras Branch are even more fallacious and
contradictory, when it is known that the succession rests
Elizabeth, with her husband, Pedro de Alcântara,
and their son and heir, Pedro Gastão.
35
with a mésalliance with a princess de Ligne. As is well-
known, this family, originating from the Belgian region
of Hainaut, was never considered royal. Suffce it to say
that in the Almanach de Gotha, the Ligne family does
not appear in the frst section, designated for sovereign
houses, or in the second section, for mediatized houses
but only in the third section.
However much the family belongs to the high
nobility, it cannot be considered a ‘royal family’. This
was the condition that was imposed by Princess Isabel
for the marriages of the heirs to the Imperial House of
Brazil, according to the abovementioned passage from
one of her own letters.
On the other hand, from his Palace of Grão Pará,
in Petropolis, Dom Pedro Gastão managed to reign
during the second half of the twentieth century in a
republic. He symbolized, as no-one before, the synthesis
between modernity, democracy and monarchy. The great
Spanish historian of royal families, Juan Balansó, rightly
commented: ‘... I am convinced that Dom Pedro [Gastâo]
could have become a great constitutional emperor, as
were Pedro I and Pedro II . . .’
21
Perhaps the most signifcant evidence of the dynastic
legitimacy of Countess Elisabeth Dobrzensky is the
distinction occupied by those with her blood in their
veins: D. Pedro Gastão, her son, was married to the aunt
of the King of Spain; the current Count of Paris, Dom
Duarte Nuno of Portugal and the Duchess Consort of
Württemberg are her grandchildren, and Alexander,
Crown Prince of Yugoslavia, is her great-grandson. In
the mausoleum of the Petropolis Cathedral, alongside
Emperor Dom Pedro II, Empress Dona Teresa Cristina,
Princess Isabel and Count d’Eu, there are only two other
persons that have the honor of resting there: Dom Pedro
Gastão and Elisabeth Countess Dobrzensky. Based on
this evidence - even though the republic forbid the
continuance of the monarchy in Brazil - it can be said
that, in principle (de jure) Elisabeth Dobrzensky von
Dobrzenicz was ‘Empress of Brazil’.
Notes
1. Chapter III, article 105, of the Imperial Constitution
of Brazil, states: The Heir Apparent of the Empire shall
have the title of ‘Prince Imperial’ and his frst born son
of ‘Prince of Grão Pará’, the other children to be titled
‘Princes’. The address of the Heir Apparent shall be
‘Your Imperial Highness’ and the same will apply to the
Prince of Grão Pará: the other Princes shall be
addressed as Your Highness.
2. Orléans e Bragança: “Centenary of the Prince of Grão
Pará”, Review of the Brazilian Historical and Geographical
Institute, Rio de Janeiro: National Press Department, 1978.
Volume 316, July-September 1977, p 369
3. Countess of Paris, Isabel de Orléans e Bragança:
Interview. Unpublished text in French, private record of
Victor Villon.
4. The Countess of Barcelona, mother of King Juan Carlos
of Spain, also recognized the artistic talents of
Countess Dobrzensky : We had many relations in Paris.
The one we met the most was Uncle Pedro de Orléans e
Bragança, who was the son of an Orléans, the Count
d’Eu and Isabel de Bragança, who was the heir to the
throne of Brazil. He was married to a Czech lady,
Countess Elisabeth Dobrzensky, Aunt Elsi, who was an
artist. She played the piano very well and was a wonderful
painter. They lived in a magnifcent house in the Bois
de Boulogne and had fve children. . . Gonzalez de
Vega, Javier : Yo, Maria de Borbon. El Pafs Aguilar, p 47
5. Monjouvent, Philippe de: Le Comte de Paris Duc de France
et ses ancetres. Charenton, Editions du Chaney, 2000.
6. Orléans e Bragança: “Centenary of the Prince of Grão
Pará”, Review of the Brazilian Historical and Geo-
graphical Institute, Rio de Janeiro: National Press
Department, 1978. Volume 316, Jul-Sep 1977, p 369
7. Barman, Roderick J., Princess Isabel of Brazil: gender
and power in the XIX century. Sao Paulo: published by
Unesp, 2002, p 300
8. Lacombe, Lourenco Luiz: Isabel the Princess
Redeemer, [s.d.] pp 275, 276
9. Correa de Oliveira, João Alfredo: Cartas do Consel-
heiro João Alfredo à Princesa Isabel in Revista do
Institute Historico e Geográfco Brasileiro. Transcrição
e notas de Pedro Moniz de Aragao. Rio de Janeiro:
Departamento de Imprensa Nacional, 1964. Volume
230, julho-setembro, 1963. p 374
10. “Dispute of Princes” : Diario da Noite, 27 January
1936, year VIII, number 2529. Taken from periodicals
in the National Library. Microflm: PR-SPR397 Diario
da Noite-2 January/29 February
11. Countess of Paris, Isabel de Orléans e Bragança:
Interview. Unpublished text in French, private record of
Victor Villon.
12. Eu, 09/03/1909.
13. Graz, 18/09/1909.
14. Chotebor, 25/09/1909.
15. Krasne, 03/10/1909.
16. Eu, 16/02/1911.
17. Krasne,03/10/1909.
18. Kjøbenhavn (Copenhagen), 17/10/1910. 19. Ditto
20. The handwriting is not perfectly legible
21. Balansó Juan: La familia Real y La familia irreal.
Barcelona: Editorial Planeta, 1992. p.192
Victor Villon, a history graduate studying for
a master’s degree at the Pontifcal Catholic
University of Rio de Janeiro.
Astrid Bodstein, an historian and genealogist,
performed the iconographic research.
Original title in Portuguese:
Elisabeth Dobrzensky von Dobrzenicz,
“Imperatriz do Brazil”.
English translation by Colin Foulkes